Tiffin City Council approves carryover spending, pay ordinance changes, promotion and firefighter-certification rule changes; several reappointments pass

Tiffin City Council approved several emergency ordinances and resolutions at its meeting and recorded unanimous votes on multiple items affecting budget carryovers, personnel qualifications and board appointments.

Among the actions the council adopted were an ordinance allowing 2024 purchase-order carryovers into the 2025 budget, a correction to the city pay ordinance to reflect the new state minimum wage, amendments to police promotion and firefighter certification rules, and a slate of mayoral reappointments and one county board-of-health appointment. Most of the emergency measures passed on unanimous 7''0to''0 votes.

Why it matters: The measures finalize pay and budget housekeeping for 2025, change internal promotion qualifications for city public-safety departments and confirm the mayor''s appointments to city boards and external bodies; the police and fire language affects hiring and promotion eligibility immediately because the council approved the ordinances as emergencies.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 2025-1 (authorize internet auction of surplus personal property; emergency): Passed 7-0. Motion for immediate passage moved by Council member Taylor; seconded by Council member Jones. The council suspended the three-reading rule and approved the emergency to allow items to be prepared for the March auction as required under Ohio Revised Code '' 721.15(d).

- Resolution 2025-3 through 2025-11 (mayor''s reappointments to city boards and commissions): Passed 7-0 as a group after a consolidated motion. The resolutions cover reappointments to the ADA Advisory Committee, Architectural Board of Review, Julia M. Weller Memorial Commission, Park & Recreation Board, Sewer Review Board, Tree Commission and the Tiffin Recreation and Beautification Endowment Fund Board.

- Resolution 2025-12 (mayor''s appointment of Dr. Nathaniel Myers to the Seneca County Board of Health): Passed 7-0 on recorded voice vote.

- Ordinance 2025-1 (carryover purchase orders and related 2025 budget amendment; emergency passage): Passed 7-0 after suspension of the three-reading rule. This permits payment of 2024 purchase orders that were not completed until 2025.

- Ordinance 2025-2 (amend police department promotion rules to allow prior military police experience to count toward sergeant eligibility; emergency passage): Passed 7-0. Council Member Hayes moved immediate passage; the council recorded that testing and assessment for sergeant candidates will begin in February, creating the need for the emergency passage.

- Ordinance 2025-3 (allow new firefighters to obtain Firefighter II certification at accredited programs other than the Ohio Fire Academy; emergency passage): Passed 7-0. Council said the change provides the fire department additional options for certification.

- Ordinance 2025-4 (correction to the pay ordinance to update minimum wage references; emergency passage): Passed 7-0. The finance director requested the correction so payroll references match the current state minimum wage.

- Ordinance 2025-5 (proposal to convert an existing one-quarter percent municipal income-tax increase for roads and bridges from a time-limited levy to a continuing levy): Read for the first time; further action and potential ballot placement were discussed but no final council vote on the ordinance occurred that evening. Resolution 2025-2 (declaring the necessity of an election on that ordinance) was introduced as a first reading.

Other formal actions

- The council accepted the fourth-quarter credit-card compliance report by voice vote earlier in the meeting.

Context and next steps

Council members and staff said the road-and-bridge tax change must meet an election deadline to appear on the May primary ballot; staff advised council of the Feb. 5 deadline for sending ballot language to the board of elections. The ordinance to make the levy continuing will require additional readings and a separate ordinance to modify the tax code. Several committee meetings on street, sidewalk and planning items were also scheduled for Jan. 13 to consider mayoral requests.

Ending

Council adjourned after wrapping up the evening''s legislation and scheduling follow-up committee meetings.